Low Interest Rates Help Kick-Start Economy

Many foreign governments have pointed to the Canadian economy as a well-run machine that avoided the economic turmoil that plunged the U.S., the eurozone, and much of the Western world into a recession in late 2007.

Canada still slipped into a recession in 2009, but not for very long. In fact, to help kick-start the Canadian economy, the Bank of Canada artificially lowered its overnight lending rate to 0.25% in April 2009.

Lowering interest rates is supposed to help stimulate the economy because it makes it cheaper for businesses and people to borrow from the banks. In late 2010, the Canadian economy showed signs of improving and the central bank raised its lending rate to one percent.

While lowering interest rates helped Canada avoid the Great Recession, the Canadian economy did not rebound as quickly as hoped. As a result, the Bank of Canada pegged the key interest rate at one percent for 51 months, from September 2010 until December 2014.

Canadian Economic Growth Muted

The central bank hinted it wouldn’t raise rates until the Canadian economy was on sustainable footing; it’s still waiting. Slumping oil prices, stagnant wages, and slower economic growth forced the Bank of Canada to make an unexpected cut to its lending rate in January to 0.75%.

On March 4, the central bank announced it was keeping its rate at 0.75%, saying no further cuts or increases were necessary. The bank is essentially taking a wait-and-see approach to observe how the economy responds before moving the rate again.

But the fact of the matter is that the Canadian economy remains fragile and there is a good chance interest rates won’t rise until late 2015 or even 2016. In addition, any future increases will remain small, meaning that interest rates will hover near historic lows for the unforeseeable future.

Interest Rates Need to Stay Low

Aside from low oil prices hindering the economy in Alberta and Saskatchewan, one reason why the bank can’t raise interest rates is because it can’t afford to. In January, Canadian household debt grew 4.6%, the fastest pace in the last two years.

Canadians took on an additional $80.0 billion worth of mortgages, personal loans, and credit card debt in the past year, much of it following the bank’s lowering of its rate to 0.75%.

In January, Canadian household debt totalled $1.82 trillion; the country’s GDP stands at an annualized rate of $1.65 trillion, meaning we owe more than we make. But thanks to low interest rates, Canadian automakers had their second-best February for sales on record.

Specifically, Canadians are in debt to the tune of an average $20,967 in non-mortgage consumer debt. Between 2007 and mid-2014, Canada’s household debt-to-income ratio rose more than any other country outside of Greece. Canada is also one of a few countries in the Western world where household debt is actually higher than it was in the U.S. at the peak of the global credit bubble.

Lowering interest rates might encourage borrowing, but low interest rates also make it easier to manage bigger debt loads in the short term. That won’t be the case if the bank raises interest rates; interest-sensitive spending remains robust in Canada and any rise in interest rates will stretch Canadians thin.

Learn How to Profit from Canada’s Low-Interest-Rate Environment

The low-interest-rate environment and eventuality of rising interest rates presents investors with a large number of interesting trading ideas. But ultimately, whether interest rates are up or down, or the stock market is bearish or bullish, Learn-To-Trade.com Inc.’s professional instructors equip investors with all the in-depth training and techniques they need to become successful traders.

The experts at Learn-To-Trade.com Inc. share firsthand investing experience and provide you with proven skills and trading tools that can be applied to any financial market. At Learn-To-Trade.com Inc., we provide a professional and supportive trading environment where our members can interact with instructors and other traders.

For information on Learn-To-Trade.com Inc., its unique trading course, and its Lifetime Membership or to sign up for one of our free two-hour trading workshops, e-mail us at info@learn-to-trade.com or call 416-510-5560.

Sources:

“Bank of Canada lowers overnight rate target by 1/4 percentage point to 1/4 per cent and, conditional on the inflation outlook, commits to hold current policy rate until the end of the second quarter of 2010,” Bank of Canada web site, April 21, 2009; https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2009/04/fad-press-release-2009-04-21/.

George Karpouzis is the co-founder of Learn-to-Trade and has been personally providing education and mentoring to over 3000 members since 1999. George has been trading in the stocks, options, futures and forex markets using technical analysis since 1986. With the help of advancements in trading technology the Learn To Trade program is now accessible worldwide. His background and passion for teaching brings an invaluable asset to our members. George is constantly striving to improve the program content and develop new strategic relationships for the benefit of the members. Add me to your G+

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